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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22674847">Reverse Thanksgiving</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrubclub/pseuds/scrubclub'>scrubclub</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Thanksgiving Fic, Tumblr Prompt, that's pretty much it I guess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:06:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,405</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22674847</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrubclub/pseuds/scrubclub</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arya &amp; Gendry celebrate "Reverse Thanksgiving" - story prompted by an anon on tumblr</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arya Stark/Gendry Waters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>261</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Reverse Thanksgiving</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I posted this on tumblr months ago - it is a tiny little story, but I figured I didn't want to lose it forever to the whims of that site, you know?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the daftest thing she had ever done and she told him so. </p><p>Thanksgiving was a foreign concept to Arya Stark. She liked that she now had a five day weekend to spend as she pleased, but every other aspect of the holiday seemed bizarre. Some people she asked insisted that it was to celebrate the harvest. Others offered some sanitized history of the pilgrims and the Native Americans feasting together. Arya’s roommate Meera had given her a proper rundown of the colonial horrors associated with the holiday. Mycah said he just liked that it gave him an excuse to go back home for some of his mother’s roast turkey. Beth insisted that the real holiday was Black Friday and her boyfriend, Pod, said that the weekend was crucial for his fantasy football team. Whatever Thanksgiving was actually about, Arya had been expecting to spend it alone - it wasn’t worth going all the way back to Edinburgh for just four days, as much as she would have liked to see her family. </p><p>She had it all planned out - she’d get ahead on her essays and readings, sleep ‘til ten every day, and maybe finally watch that weird Canadian Netflix sitcom that Jon had insisted she would love. Her plans were thrown off track in the entrée section of the little campus convenience store. There was barely a soul on campus, but there he was, pulling a bowl of instant noodles from the shelf and looking as grumpy as ever. </p><p>Gendry and her weren’t exactly friends, but they lived in the same residence building and sort of hung out in the same circles. He showed up to the occasional party (though he never really spoke to anyone) and he was in her Linguistics class (they sometimes sat beside each other, but their interactions were limited to her borrowing his pen). She had thought him shy - perhaps a little surly - but he seemed nice enough and if they were both alone on Thanksgiving, they may as well be alone together, right?</p><p>Now, hours later, they stood on the roof of the dormitory, snowflakes twirling around them, a beer in Arya’s hand and a golf club in Gendry’s.  </p><p>“Aye, the daftest,” Gendry repeated in a shockingly poor Scottish accent.  </p><p>“Shut it. Your vowel sounds are way off.” </p><p>“Guess I need to pay more attention in Linguistics,” he shrugged, “Ya ken, lassie?” </p><p>“Jesus,” Arya groaned, but she couldn’t help but laugh. Gendry was funnier than she had realized, and far less shy. “Hit the ball.” He shot her a grin before turning his focus to the golf ball in front of him. He thought for a moment before setting his shoulders and bringing the club back. </p><p>[She had suggested they skip the instant noodles and go halfsies on pizza. He had graciously offered to split the twelve-pack of Coors in his fridge. She had explained that she didn’t understand Thanksgiving. He had explained that he didn’t have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving. Arya had declared it a stupid holiday and that America would probably be a far happier place if everyone stopped pretending to be thankful and instead devoted the weekend to blowing off steam about all of the things they weren’t thankful for. Gendry had grinned at this and asked her if she’d ever been up to the roof. He had a nice smile, she decided.]</p><p>“Student debt!” Gendry cried as he smacked the golf ball off of its makeshift tee (an empty can of Coors Light) and sent it sailing across the courtyard. Arya whistled, impressed by the distance - despite the ball hooking to the left. </p><p>“My turn,” she said, handing Gendry her beer and grabbing another ball from his bag. Arya considered her options before yelling, “Perfect sisters who make you feel inadequate just by existing!” She turned to see Gendry with his eyebrows raised. </p><p>“That was quite a mouthful,” he laughed, handing Arya back her beer and accepting the golf club from her. “Not a bad shot, though.” </p><p>“It’s in my blood, Waters. We Scots invented golf.” </p><p>“Can you teach me how to shoot straight?” </p><p>She did, fixing his foot placement and lining his shoulders up properly. He glanced down at her as she did this, and she felt her cheeks heat up as his eyes widened under her touch. Gendry was not only funnier than she had realized - he was also far more handsome. She had known he was good looking - he was tall, built, and had unfairly blue eyes - but up close he seemed almost magnetic. His hair was dark and fell in his face and the blush on his cheeks from the cold was categorically adorable. </p><p>“The TA that said she’d give me an A if I slept with her,” Gendry declared, sending another gold ball over the courtyard - straight this time. </p><p>“What?” Arya demanded. Gendry shrugged. </p><p>“I took the B+.” </p><p>“That blue-haired twat from the third floor who asked me if I wanted to be friends with benefits before I even knew his name.” Arya offered, almost hitting the big oak tree at the center of the yard. </p><p>“That dick keeps suggesting I rush next year,” Gendry said, shaking his head, “Can you imagine me in a frat?” Arya had hardly known Gendry only hours ago, but the thought of him in a fraternity seemed laughable. </p><p>“I don’t know,” Arya considered mockingly, “You might look kinda cute in a salmon pink polo shirt and khakis.” He rolled his eyes and held his hand out for the golf club. </p><p>“Frats!” Whack.</p><p>“The genocide of America’s indigenous population!” Whack.</p><p>“The entire concept of Black Friday!” Whack.</p><p>“Joffrey Lannister!” Whack.</p><p>“My dad.” Whack.</p><p>“The fact that we didn’t order more than one pizza!” Whack.</p><p>“The fact that I couldn’t afford more than half a pizza!” Whack.</p><p>“The fact that you wouldn’t let me buy you a pizza when you’ve given me half of your beer.” Whack.</p><p>“The fact that I’m being roasted for an attempt at chivalry.” Whack.</p><p>“The fact that I’m celebrating my first Thanksgiving with someone who thinks that Coors Light and chivalry can ever exist side-by-side.” Whack.</p><p>“God, your accent is hilarious,” Gendry laughed as Arya watched her ball sail dangerously close to a window. She turned and frowned at him. </p><p>“So is yours. You sound like someone from Friends.” He only chuckled more. </p><p>“Yeah, cause I’m from New York and so are they. You sound like Trainspotting.” She scowled. “In a cute way!” </p><p>“You can’t ‘sound like Trainspotting’ in a cute way,” Arya snapped, grateful that it was likely too dark for him to see her blush. </p><p>“You manage,” he shrugged. She rolled her eyes and handed him the club, shivering slightly as she did so. “Are you cold?” </p><p>“No,” she lied. She was having too much fun to call it a night. </p><p>“How about we finish off with one thing we’re thankful for?” Gendry suggested. “Then we can go make you some shitty hot cocoa from those little packets in the dorm kitchen.” That sounded alright to Arya. </p><p>“Fine. You first.” Gendry considered her for a moment before teeing up his final golf ball. </p><p>“Right,” he started, adjusting his shoulders, “Well, I’m thankful that I ran into you at the store tonight. And I’m thankful that you’re happy to drink my beer, even if it’s Coors. And I guess I’m thankful that you’re not hooking up with that blue-haired idiot.” He sent the ball flying and turned to Arya. </p><p>“That was three things,” Arya said quietly, her cheeks burning now. </p><p>“We’re shooting golf balls off of the roof of our dorm and now you’re worried about rules?” Gendry laughed, an eyebrow popping up curiously as he held out the club to her. She tugged the handle harder than he expected, making him stumble a step towards her. The cocky expression on his face faded as she slid her arms around his neck and stood up on her tiptoes. </p><p>The kiss wasn’t supposed to turn into a full-fledged make-out against the door to the roof, but Arya wasn’t complaining. Gendry was strong and soft and knew what he was doing. Arya found herself giggling as he tossed the golf club away and walked her backwards with enthusiasm until she was pressed against the cool metal.</p><p>Arya was thankful for shitty beer and for rooftop golf and for the fact that they had the entire dorm building all to themselves.</p>
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